Dabgach
Dabgach is an island nation to the east of the Evora mainland. Although nominally considered part of Evora, its culture and language is quite distinct sharing more similarities with the distant land of Ojin than with most parts of Evora. Geography The island nation of Dabgach runs some 2500 miles north to south and about 750 miles east to west at its widest point. It is host to a diverse range of habitats: frigid mountains in the north, arable land in the centre and steamy jungles in the south. Although it is usually considered to be part of the continent of Evora, its culture is distinct from those of the mainland nations. Dabgach also boasts a range of fauna not found anywhere else in the world of Telluria. The northern Golden Crane Mountains take up fully half of the island. They become increasingly lofty and snowy to the north and are for the most part uninhabited. The more temperate slopes to the south of the range are home to small communities. The mountains become vine-covered hills at the southern end of the Golden Crane Mountains and then yield to vast fields of millet and rice. The regional capital city Trao Le sits among the foothills of the Golden Crane Mountains. The central part of Dabgach is dominated by fields farmed by villagers with the help of buffalo as the main beast of burden. These fields, fed by the enormous Red River, are interspersed with small pockets of pasture land and the occasional forest of tall, dark, sweet-smelling conifers. The central region is defined by two huge bays with rough, shingle beaches: the long, narrow Zhang Bay on the west side of the island and the almost circular Kuan Bay on the east side. The trading town of Yenshu can be found in the approximate centre. national capital of Shoudu is located towards the southwestern part of the central region. The ruined city of Takio sits on an island in the middle of Kuan Bay. The Zushan Jungle of the south is a deadly place; the Zushan River (a branch of the Red River) is infested with thick, grey-skinned carnivorous eels while dense mists periodically descend to obscure vision. The temperature is always high and the clouds of insects that fill the air can drain the blood of an adult in minutes; even those that survive can be infected with a disease that brings madness and death. Other notable animals include swarms of red beetles that devour anything organic in their path, the bizarre hac-quel-rat and the flocks of tiny, brightly-coloured birds. Among the many poisonous plants is a highly-prized, large, bluish-green fruit called the “lan se” which can sustain a traveller for weeks. A race of diminutive tribal hunters inhabits the inhospitable jungle. They know no law other than their own and are the only humans who understand all the deadly ways of the jungle. In addition to bows and arrows they employ a variety of plant-based poisons to incapacitate their opponents or prey. These poisons are often in powder form and packed into fragile, hollow gourds that are hurled at their targets. The Zushan Jungle is also home to the elusive kreehuls but debates remains open as to whether these creatures should be classed as fauna or intelligent inhabitants of Dabgach. History The Reign of the God-Kings ' For nearly one thousand years, Dabgach was ruled by a line of God-Kings and -Queens. The God-Kings have traditionally used the symbol of a gold fist on a black background. The line of God-Kings is comprised of 12 dynasties; the shift from one dynasty to another typically reflects a military conquest or new alliance of powerful families but each dynasty asserted its connection to the previous one in some way to legitimise their claim to power. The northern city of Trao Le was the capital of the land for most of this time but was relocated to Shoudu in 197 AU by the Meng Dynasty. The line of God-King’s was interrupted by the reign of Bezenvial who slew all members of the ruling Meng Dynasty. '''The Reign of Bezenvial ' Also known as the Dark Master, Bezenvial was the depraved former ruler of Dabgach, a despotic fiend who ruled the land with steel, fire and death in the period 296-325 AU. His corruption and cruelty earned him the hatred of all his subjects. He was overthrown by battle and sorcery, overcome by the Triurge of Aven, sorcerors of great power, who destroyed his cityport of Takio, appearing in glowing spheres above the city and raining magical energy down on the city before banishing Bezenvial to the shadow realm. Despite this defeat, Bezenvial prophesied that one of his two children – Maior and Feior – would rule Dabgach again. As the Triurge were attacking Takio, he entombed his own children, planting within them a shadow of his own identity so that one day he could rise again within the body of one or other of the children. Maior was a proficient magic-user from a young age but considered a weakling by his tyrannical father. Maior and his brother were known as the “Twins of Evil” mostly because of Bezenvial’s prophecy that he would return again through them. Just before the destruction of Takio, Maoir and Feior were drugged and entombed in burial vaults hidden deep beneath the city. This process was overseen by the hawk-nose mage and leader of Bezenvial’s personal cult, Panurge; he was a key figure in orchestrating the so-called “”Black Vein Prophecy”, leading a hundred mage-priests in the ceremony of interment that sealed Maior and Feior in their sarcophaguses beneath Takio even as Bezenvial’s body was destroyed. 'Restoration of the Monarchy ' When Bezenvial was overthrown, the Ta Dynasty was established. The first Ta God-King, Zai Ta, was a well-respected administrator of Shoudu who could claim definite if distant kinship with several earlier dynasties. Zai Ta was a compromise choice of the various warlords and nobles who vied for control of the island after the death of Bezenvial. Zai Ta (reigned 325-342 AU) was capable but uninspiring; his son, Fu Ta (reigned 342-367 AU), was neither and Dabgach entered a period of political stagnation, with decisions being made autonomously at the level of local and regional magistrates. Banditry become a widespread problem during this period due to the lack of coordinated internal security. One infamous bandit was the disgraced Suislander nobleman Sevmiroda, readily identifiable by the golden spurs he wore. Sevmiroda, and his lieutenant, Ewenchu, controlled dozens of bandits; the men and women under his command were each marked by a unique tattoo concealed place like the small of the back or the inner thigh. The third and last of the God-Kings of the Ta Dynasty, Poo Ta (reigned 367-375 AU), was a pampered youth who ascended the throne at the age of two. Poo Ta, also known as the Young King, indulged his love of luxury, arraying his officers in beautifully-lacquered armour and plumed helmets. Poo Ta was descended from the ancient kings of Dabgach and although he was fond of saying that “war is in my blood” he had little military ability. '''The Awakening '(aka the Time of the Twins of Evil, the Black Vein Prophecy, the Dabgachi Civil War) ' During the period of the Ta Dynasty time, thanks to the dark magic of Bezenvial, Maior and Feior grew only slowly in their sarcophaguses, the seed of Bezenvial’s awareness ripening within them so that they reached young adulthood only after fifty years. They were inadvertently awakened by a treasure seeker named Thandile and his partner, Velkos. Feior was roused first; he promptly killed Thandile and set out to reconquer Dabgach – his identity blurring with his father’s. Maior awoke a little time later, his mind shadowed by his father’s consciousness but not to such a strong degree. Feior quickly set about raising an army comprised of foreigners in black-lacquered lamellar armour which made them look like horribly distended beetles, ill-omened creatures and the most despicable mercenaries. They pillaged the countryside as they advanced, Feior astride his fearsome steed Baelmark, forcing refugees to flee north towards the forces of the ill-prepared God-King, Poo Ta. After awakening, Maior became associated with Merzei, a former monk of Baochou Monastery and master of the striking cobra technique. Short and scrawny in appearance with an almost childlike face, Merzei left the monastery early in the reign of Poo Ta and became a revolutionary, styling himself Defender of the People and Righter of Wrongs. He also tended to style himself “Future Grand Councillor of Dabgach” (a position he in fact ended up holding during Maior’s reign). Merzei also had some proficiency in the magical discipline of Biantai and was bold and provocative during his younger days, tending to see those not with him as against him. Although originally little more than an idealistic rabble-rouser seeing all authority figures as oppressors, he was eventually persuaded by Maior to support King Poo Ta’s efforts against Feior. Merzei was instrumental in raising a peasant army that helped to address the critical shortage of troops at the king’s disposal. Maior was also assisted by the surviving member of the Triurge of Aven, Credas, who mobilised the kreehuls of Zushan Jungle. Credas engineered the recovery from the Zushan Jungle of one of the most ancient and powerful idols of the Sitting Prophet, a massive bronze statue. Maior used his skill with Biantai to fuse Credas with the idol. Credas then raised an army of kreehuls which had previously worshipped the idol and this amphibian army joined the fight against Feior. The kreehul army of Credas and the peasant army of Merzei joined forces with the troops of the youthful God-King Poo Ta. Prior to the final battle, Maior’s agents had managed to steal battle plans from Commander Tamroth, chief military advisor to Feior and responsible for recruitment; the acquisition of these plans proved crucial in the final engagement. This advantage was very nearly negated by the treachery of Wol Nikko, a mercenary leader hired by Maior. Wol Nikko lived a pampered early life and revelled in his affected mannerisms. He carried a great two-handed sword which he wielded with skill. At virtually the last minute of the battle, he swapped sides, believing Feior had the upper hand but his treachery did not ultimately turn the tide of battle. During the battle, Feior summoned the evil spirit known as the Sturramak; this demonic entity destroyed Credas but was in turn driven off by Maior.who went on to defeat Feior in single combat. The Young King Poo Ta died in the battle, bravely leading the last charge against Feior’s forces. Maior was hailed as the natural successor since Poo Ta had no heirs; Maior thus became God-King. As an adult, Maior was a large man with strangely curled hair, a proud nose and intense dark-brown eyes. Although he maintained simple attire, Maior’s manner was always regal and commanding, sometimes overwhelming so due to the dark blood that ran through his veins. 'After the Civil War ' In the years after becoming the new God-King in 375 AU, Maior has attempted to reinvigorate political, cultural and economic life in Dabgach. The roles and relationships of local and regional magistrates and administrators was meant to become more actively linked into a nation-wide system of law and order although in practice it has remained largely parochial and self-serving, partly due to the entrenched bureaucracy that has not been substantially changed in centuries. Maior attempted to open trade negotiations with the distant land of Ojin to the east and even received an ambassador named Keiko from that land before the talks were abruptly cancelled in 380 AU on the orders of Pantu, the God-King’s advisor. Keiko and Maior eventually met after Pantu’s defeat and were married (385 AU). Although Merzei was elevated to the position of Grand Councillor of Dabgach at the end of the civil war, he fell out of favour with Maior for a time due to the machinations of Pantu, Maior’s personal advisor in the period 377-380 AU. Pantu appeared to be a fat man who dressed in extravagant finery of elegant silks and fine brocade but was in reality a traitorous serpent-bodied demon. An ambitious sadist, Pantu came between the God-King and the people for some time before he was exposed. Pantu was the master of the Dragon Guard and also surreptitiously employed mercenaries to destabilise the countryside and legitimise the use of force. He had a penchant for imprisoning petitioners who would not be missed and torturing them in bone-filled pits below the palace that dated back to the days of Bezenvial. The Dragon Guard was founded during the days of the Meng Dynasty (197-296) and was meant to be an elite military force personally loyal to the God-King. Under Pantu’s direction, the Dragon Guard assumed significant authority for its own purposes and contributed to the development of anti-monarchical feeling. Mercenary bands, dressed in black-lacquered armour, drifted around the island after the civil war, hiring themselves out as militia to help local administrators with bandits although often their treatment of peasants were no better and no few of these mercenaries were themselves former bandits. One infamous mercenary leader from the south of Dabgach wore a fearsome demon-head mask but was otherwise unnamed (and it is believed that the mask itself caused the man’s evil behaviour). Pantu was involved in hiring and directing some of these bands personally of through the Dragon Guard.. A band of revolutionaries became active as discontent with Maior’s regime increased. These revolutionaries were initially led by Suiyuan, a young firebrand who invoked “Merzei’s great vision” and “government by council” to justify their resistance. Suiyan carried the Sacred Sword of Tsui, meant to symbolise the power of the Dabgachi people and the principles of harmony. Suiyuan was killed in 380 AU but another revolutionary (unnamed in historical sources) took up the Sacred Sword of Tsui and continued the struggle. Eventually, this revolutionary succeeded in gaining access to the royal palace in Shoudu thanks to the sympathetic royal minister, Zhenguei. Once there, she saw through Pantu’s disguise and realised that he was the true enemy of the people. The revolutionary slew the demonic advisor and then presented her demands to Maior. She so impressed the God-King that she was made the king’s champion, given a symbolic golden gauntlet and the title of “Eyes and Ears of the God-King”. With the Sacred Sword of Tsui in hand, she was charged with the mission to travel the land and uphold justice in the king’s name. Merzei was reinstated as Grand Councillor after Pantu’s death, the Dragon Guard was dramatically reformed and a program of effective political renewal was begun. Culture 'Life in Dabgach ' The vast majority of people in Dabgach are peasants who live in a world of water and mud, planting rice and millet in huge paddy fields divided by low earth barriers called polders and occasionally interspersed with pasture lands. The Shenglai people, by comparison, live in lake-huts to the east of the island. Peasant villages are little more than clusters of baked-mud houses inhabited by related families; family members begin the exhausting work in the fields at a young age and continue throughout their lives. Where the polders join main roads clusters of artistans workshops or an inn may be found. Peasants face occasional threats from giant mudworms but the more pressing demand is the requirement to provide sufficient rice and millet in taxes to the local magistrate. Magistrates, administrative staff, priests, wealthy artisans and merchants tend to be found in towns which sit spider-like at the centre of several hundred square miles of farmland. Town houses are made of wood with rice-paper walls. Most farmers rely on trade and barter in goods although Dabgach does mint hard currency as well. Coins come in the form of silver ingots, tiny gold coins and bronze coins with holes in them that can be strung on cords. Law and order is typically a matter for local administrators to deal with despite efforts in recent years to develop a nation-wide and coordinated approach to justice. In the absence of a police force with investigative powers, justice is usually a matter of petitioners presenting their case to whichever magistrate they can get the attention of. Punishment is at the discretion of these magistrates although they are informed by the legal code developed by the bureaucracy over many centuries. One unique punishment practised occasionally in Dabgach sees condemned criminals sealed naked in a huge translucent sphere – about ten feet in diameter – which is then pushed out to sea. The sphere, made from the inflated bladder of a shael-beast and reinforced with magic, allows water to permeate the pliant membrane. The water is filtered so it is fresh but also gathers up tiny algae which the criminal cannot avoid ingesting while breathing the moist air. This process can keep the criminal alive for years so they are usually driven mad in the process as they are buffeted this way and that by wind and wave, roiling in their accumulated filth. The national bureaucracy has traditionally been a place for ambitious families to send their child although the entrance examinations are rigorous. Scholars who fail these examinations often find it difficult to secure other employment and some adopt the life of a puzzler. According to tradition, a puzzler may ask a question of anyone he meets on the road. If he does not receive the correct answer, custom dictates that the puzzler is entitled to charity – at the very least, the price of a meal. Bathing culture is a prominent part of Dabgachi life. Taverns and ale-houses always include a bath-house. In smaller settlements, the communal bath is a central feature of village life. Many public baths also feature a network of pipes above the pool that can be used by bathers to access alcoholic beverages. The most common such drink is “xingdao”, a millet beer drunk for its strength rather than its flavour. Extensive mines operate in the Golden Crane Mountains. These mines are run by agents who purchase a commission from the central bureaucracy and then acquire slaves in an effort to make the mine profitable. The operations of one such agent, Kuangong by name, made a substantial profit by making gravel from the grey cliffs near Yenshu and his approach to the business is illustrative of many such operations. Kuangong employed guards to keep a close eye on slaves and if one member of a work detail tried to escape or make trouble, all members of the work detail would be punished. Kuangong would occasionally show signs of fairness or decency but this was part of his method of controlling his slaves: but offering hope of improvement and eventually release, he conditions his slaves to accept their lot and work hard. A tradition of arena fighting – usually humans against beasts – is a common past time for the elite of society. One famous trainer of fighters is Master Jian, a muscular fellow with a strangely curved right eyebrow. He purchases young slaves and subjects them to an intense two-year training period. Those that survive are then ready for public combats. The so-called “arena beasts”, leathery, bipedal reptiles with soul-draining eyes, are the favoured opponents for newcomers. 'Religion ' Arn is the supreme god of Dabgach; Arn is a creator god who embodies the principle of harmony. In occasional representations (typically idols rather than other artforms), Arn takes the form of a sitting man and his symbol is a simple circle. The teachings of Arn were communicated to the people of Dabgach by an ancient prophet named Shazi (more commonly referred to simply as the “Sitting Prophet”). It is unclear if this figure is a real historical individual: his appearance in Dabgach predates written records and so is at least one thousand years old. The Sitting Prophet is represented in idols and statues as a robed human figure sitting cross-legged and with its hands clasped above its head while its face wears an expression of deep serenity. The Sitting Prophet is seen as a potent force for harmony and good. Arn and the Sitting Prophet are often conflated, especially in the prayers and beliefs of the common folk, and this is reflected in the similarity with which the two figures are represented. There was a decided decline in veneration for Arn during and after Bezenvial’s reign and only recently has Arn started to become popular again as the people of Dabgach strive to reinvigorate their traditions. The traditional enemy of the Sitting Prophet is the Sturramak, an evil, two-legged dragon of great size and ferocity with feathery wings and the face of a cat. In addition to being able to unleash fiery gouts of energy from its maw it can drop hundreds of squirming, purple, leech-like grubs from its underbelly which burrow through flesh with horrifying ease. It can also absorb and gain strength from magical energy used against it. This being represents the forces of chaos and evil. Folk lore and even some historical writings suggest that this creature is a real being who has appeared from time to time and not merely a metaphor of general universal concepts. The main temple of Arn is in the northern regional capital of Trao Le; the temple is a large circular building at the centre of a sprawling complex of shrines and altars that has sprung up over the centuries. The temple of Arn is the home of the Altar of Earnest Entreaty, one of Dabgach’s holiest sites. Baochou Monastery in the Golden Cranes not far from Trao Le is also a spiritual centre devoted to Arn. While the worship of Arn occupies a formal and public place in Dabgachi culture, the real spiritual principle that drives the culture is “harmony”. This can be interpreted in many different ways and monks and scholars have debated its meaning and role in life for centuries. Those in power promote the notion that everyone has a fixed place and station in life and a harmonious existence requires one to accept that place and to work in at as well as possible. A merchant might, for example, argue that money makes the world go ‘round and therefore is acting in a harmonious way by trying to make as much money as possible. A regional administrator might take the view that the common folk contribute to the harmony of the world by toiling to produce the foot that keeps the country alive. One famous centre for the study of harmony is Jiandan Monastery where the monks strive for physical perfection free of concerns of religion, morality, ethics or politics. Dabgachi culture also accommodates a large number of spirits and superstitions. Some of these are highly localised (the veneration of Quel Damoth and her Sisters is, for example, restricted to a single clan in the south of the island) while others have a wide circulation. The best known of these is a spirit named Izkhao which takes the form of a small humanoid with a smooth body and the head of a grinning, malevolent baby. The creature has great strength and a range of magical powers but it is very unpredictable. Its life force is attached to various trinkets – brooches, rings, gems and the like – which are scattered throughout Dabgach. The creature, if summoned, will always try to steal the trinket and so free itself from its controller. A superstitious Dabgachi will avoid giving or receiving such gifts if their provenance is unknown. Many Dabgachi also watch the night sky for portents indicated by clouds or other celestial phenomena moving against the constellations. A constellation known as the Death’s Messenger is the most often analysed for its spiritual significance. 'Burial Practices ' Dabgachi funerary practices are dominated by a fear of the interred person returning as a vengeful spirit. The common folk strive to keep such spirits at peace by setting up panels of wood carved with prayers over the grave. For nobles, the process is more elaborate, with the deceased buried in stone sarcophaguses within tomb complexes. The typical design is a long corridor that leads downward from the surface to a round, high-domed central chamber. This chamber is filled with tapestries depicting the life of the deceased and glittering ornaments. The sarcophaguses which hold the deceased are carved with prayers in the angular Dabgachi script that are intended to keep the spirit of the interred at rest and to visit terrible curses upon grave robbers. Black-veined marble is preferred among the highest classes of society for the sarcophaguses. The main corridor is sealed with double doors and walls of thick red wax at intervals; these wax walls, usually seven in total, are created after the deceased is interred and they are carved with glyphs of warding. Rich tombs may also be decorated with magical torches that burn with a fragrant blue flame. Among the wealthiest and most powerful Dabgachi, another common feature is the creation of Graveguards – loyal elite warriors are boiled alive in a white clay substance. This gruesome process causes the flesh and muscle to slough away and leaves the bones encased in clay. This is quickly carved to resembled human warriors and these are set up in serried rows, often with spears, swords and shields, in the corridor that approaches the central chamber. The clay warriors are quite fragile but are believed to be able to animate to fight trespassers or evil spirits. 'Magic ' The magic practised in Dabgach is unique in the world of Telluria. It consists of four separate disciplines and few adepts ever master more than one. It is unclear if these disciplines invoke magical energy that exists in the world at large or if they require assistance from powerful beings. Each discipline can be countered by another of the disciplines and the rare magical duels that have historically occurred have been won or lost based on choosing the right spell at the right time to get through an opponent’s defences. The study of magic on Dabgach was never widespread and was heavily restricted during the rule of Bezenvial, himself a powerful sorcerer. Magical studies have only slowly started to resume in the time since his overthrow. The mystical disciplines of Dabgach are as follows: Biantai (power of mutation) The magical effects created by this discipline are characterised by features such as multi-coloured scales, a silvery sheen and a purple glow. Biantai can counter Shangsuo. Shangsuo (power of locking) This magical discipline allows the practitioner to solidify liquids or even energy with enough practice. Shangsuo can counter Baopo. Baopo (power of disruption) The practice of Baopo is a violent and dangerous art as it permits the manipulation of energy. Baopo can counter Tiaohe. Tiaohe (power of harmonisation) A deceptively gentle art, the practice of Tiaohe gives the adept the ability to focus one’s own inner strength and calm; the true master of this art can then turn this control outwards and charm others. Tiaohe can counter Biantai. Other mystical arts are practised in Dabgach such as that used by the legendary “Master Yao”.